Mayor Breed’s Homeless Commission nominee faces opposition after lying about federal spending and educational history

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Few local governments will come under more scrutiny in the coming months than the newly created San Francisco Homelessness Enforcement Commission.

At last count, the city had about 7,700 people sleeping on the city streets, with little visible progress when it comes to protecting the city’s most vulnerable residents, despite spending hundreds of millions. That’s why voters signed Proposition C last fall to create a new commission that will oversee the Department of Homeless Affairs and Assisted Housing (HSH), approving budgets, reviewing contracts, and providing political oversight.

London Mayor Breed, who opposed Proposition C and the creation of the commission, announced on Tuesday four candidates, including: a doctor whose work is focused on the black community, which is disproportionately affected by homelessness; longtime leader of a non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention of child abuse; and a politically connected small business owner.

However, the story of one candidate raised serious concerns.

Vikrum Ayer is a CTO whose resume includes positions at Postmates, the American Civil Liberties Union, and a senior technology advisor to the Obama White House. He lives in the area south of the market and has been involved in helping small businesses fight the pandemic in the city. He now serves as Commissioner for the San Francisco Workforce Investment Board.

According to a Washington Post report published in 2018, Ayer also repeatedly lied about the misuse of public funds over the course of two years.

During his tenure as division chief of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office from 2014 to 2017, Ayer reportedly lied more than 130 times about commuting and personal expenses, including spending at bars, restaurants, cafes and dry cleaners. According to the Office of the Inspector General’s report, he also posed as current and former senior agency officials on receipts and vouchers to avoid being caught.

Last but not least, Ayer reportedly brought George Santos on himself by lying on his resume about getting his graduate degree.

So why would a mayor appoint someone with a shady history, especially in light of the corruption scandal at the mayor’s office and the extremely low confidence in the city government?

“In a conversation with Vikrum about these issues raised in the Washington Post article, he explained that he was filing expense reports incorrectly due to a serious lack of understanding of due process,” the mayor’s office said in a statement. “He admitted his mistakes and paid the government for his mistakes earlier, and he learned from them.”

This is definitely one narrative of events. The Post found that Ayer knew he was lying when he filed taxi receipts and told investigators he was just doing what he was told.

In a newspaper review of the federal government’s investigation, Ayer apparently told investigators that “he finds it acceptable to provide incorrect information about the origin or destination because it was a protocol that was passed on to the investigators.” [him] To [his] bosses at the time.” Officials told the Post that he was never ordered to lie about his expenses.

Ayer acknowledged the report’s findings in a statement emailed on Wednesday.

“There is no better teacher than life experience, and as one of the youngest federal agency chiefs of staff in my 20s, I made a serious mistake, took full responsibility, learned from it, and made sure it never happened again,” he said. “While my lesson was certainly public and humiliating, it also gave me a first-hand appreciation of the importance of government oversight.”

City Hall told The Standard that Breed and Ayer discussed the falsified reports directly, and enough time had passed since the 2018 story that Breed felt comfortable pushing him.

“[Breed] resigned himself to admitting his mistakes and learning from them,” the mayor’s office said. “She believes that people who are dedicated to San Francisco should be allowed to serve their communities and bring their expertise to that service. She also had conversations with community leaders who spoke out strongly for him and his commitment to communities, which is all too often ignored in conversations about homelessness in San Francisco.”

One such person is Randy Shaw, Executive Director of Tenderloin Housing Clinic, a low-income tenant advocacy organization. Shaw emailed The Standard an unsolicited statement in support of Ayer before the mayor’s office offered its defense.

“We need a commissioner who can look into HSH’s multi-million dollar budget and make an independent assessment of how efficiently and wisely HSH funds are being spent,” Shaw said. “We also need a commissioner who understands the accountability of the program and will not be a mere rubber stamp for staff. Vikrum Iyer is perfect for both.”

Ayer’s appointment is still pending confirmation, and several members of the supervisory board have told The Standard that they are unhappy with his election as mayor.

“The reason why Proposition C requires all appointments to be reviewed and approved in a public Supervisory Board hearing is so that we can ensure they are properly qualified and fit,” said Chief Ahsha Safai, who sponsored Proposal C. “As a member of the Rules Committee, I look forward to learning more about each of the candidates before making a confirmation decision.”

The Supervisory Board appoints the three remaining seats on the commission. Individuals would need two votes out of three in favor of the Rules Committee, and then a majority vote in favor of all leaders. Mayoral nominations must be approved by the council within 60 days, or they are confirmed if no action is taken within that time.

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